3 answers
Faisal
Student
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
1
Question
Updated
934 views
I'm a Civil Engineer and I did my graduation in 2025. Currently, I'm working as a Planning Engineer doing Scheduling & EOT Claims Management. I want to start my own Project Management Consultancy as an Individual first and build my team. I don't know how to proceed and how I can start my own my Consultancy. Although I have financial constraints as well. If I thought about freelancing, there is so much saturation on platforms like Fiverr & Upwork. How I'll get my first client even How I can start my Consultancy with a specific niche in Scheduling & EOT Claims Management.?
I need mentorship how I can be my own business in my field and I never want to work as an employee. I hate this word.
3 answers
Nosheen Javaid
Blogger
5
Answers
Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan
Updated
Nosheen’s Answer
Your niche (Scheduling & EOT Claims Management) is an excellent choice. General project management is crowded, but Delay Analysis is a highly specialized skill. Companies are willing to pay good money for it because you save them from massive financial losses.
You do not need money or a big office to start. Here is a zero-budget strategy to get your first client without using Fiverr or Upwork:
1. Target Subcontractors (Not Main Contractors)
Big main contractors already have large in-house teams. Instead, focus on Tier-2 and Tier-3 subcontractors (like MEP, plumbing, glass, or finishing companies). When projects get delayed, the main contractor often blames these smaller subcontractors and holds their money. These small companies usually do not know how to write a proper EOT claim to defend themselves. You can step in and fight their case.
2. Partner with Quantity Surveyors (QS) and Construction Lawyers
People who handle construction lawsuits or billing (QS) understand the legal and financial side, but they usually do not know how to use Primavera P6 to prove Critical Path Delays. Reach out to them and offer a partnership: You bring the clients, and I will do the technical scheduling and delay analysis in the background.You can split the fees with them.
3. Use the "Free Schedule Audit" to Get Your First Client
Do not ask companies to hire you right away. Instead, remove their risk. Approach a stressed subcontractor and say: I will audit your current project schedule for 1 hour for free to see where you are losing money. Once you look at their schedule and prove to them that they legally deserve a time extension or compensation, they will happily pay you a fixed fee to write the full EOT claim package.
4. Upgrade Your LinkedIn Profile
Treat your LinkedIn profile like your business website. Change your headline from Planning Engineer to something that shows the results you deliver. For example:
Helping Construction Contractors Protect Profits & Win EOT Claims | Delay Analysis & Scheduling Expert
Use LinkedIn to find and directly message Owners, Project Directors, and Commercial Managers of smaller subcontracting firms.
Advice for the Future Founder:
> To start this consultancy, your only expenses are your laptop, your Primavera P6 skills, and your time on LinkedIn. Stop thinking like an employee looking for a job. Start thinking like a specialized expert who solves expensive problems for construction businesses. Good luck!
You do not need money or a big office to start. Here is a zero-budget strategy to get your first client without using Fiverr or Upwork:
1. Target Subcontractors (Not Main Contractors)
Big main contractors already have large in-house teams. Instead, focus on Tier-2 and Tier-3 subcontractors (like MEP, plumbing, glass, or finishing companies). When projects get delayed, the main contractor often blames these smaller subcontractors and holds their money. These small companies usually do not know how to write a proper EOT claim to defend themselves. You can step in and fight their case.
2. Partner with Quantity Surveyors (QS) and Construction Lawyers
People who handle construction lawsuits or billing (QS) understand the legal and financial side, but they usually do not know how to use Primavera P6 to prove Critical Path Delays. Reach out to them and offer a partnership: You bring the clients, and I will do the technical scheduling and delay analysis in the background.You can split the fees with them.
3. Use the "Free Schedule Audit" to Get Your First Client
Do not ask companies to hire you right away. Instead, remove their risk. Approach a stressed subcontractor and say: I will audit your current project schedule for 1 hour for free to see where you are losing money. Once you look at their schedule and prove to them that they legally deserve a time extension or compensation, they will happily pay you a fixed fee to write the full EOT claim package.
4. Upgrade Your LinkedIn Profile
Treat your LinkedIn profile like your business website. Change your headline from Planning Engineer to something that shows the results you deliver. For example:
Helping Construction Contractors Protect Profits & Win EOT Claims | Delay Analysis & Scheduling Expert
Use LinkedIn to find and directly message Owners, Project Directors, and Commercial Managers of smaller subcontracting firms.
Advice for the Future Founder:
> To start this consultancy, your only expenses are your laptop, your Primavera P6 skills, and your time on LinkedIn. Stop thinking like an employee looking for a job. Start thinking like a specialized expert who solves expensive problems for construction businesses. Good luck!
You rock! This advice is very helpful.
Faisal
Ray von Dohren
Retired sanitary engineer
26
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Ray’s Answer
Do you want to work in your own business as a civil engineer or some other career like owning a restaurant? What type of planning are you doing and where? Do you work with consultants? How many of them have their own business? How many are young and unregistered, as I think you must be since you graduated last year, and have an engineering business? In California and other states, that would be illegal. You cannot practice engineering as a proprietor of an engineering firm without a license.
Or am I not fulling understanding your question? I started working for myself as a civil engineer after twelve years working in the public and private sectors. I had experience in planning, design and construction. I worked 60-70 hours, seven days per week doing jobs for clients or finding new work. After one year, I was offered a vice presidency in a small firm and took it.
Civil engineering is a broad field. Before you start with the question you posed, think about what you want to do as an engineer. Do you like planning? Would you like to be part of a design team? What about construction? Then there are specific areas, such as water, traffic, buildings, wastewater, remediation, and much more. Each of those has a planning design and construction part and more.
In each of those you might encounter different types of people with different personalities. The people in construction probably are going to be different than the folks in planning. They don’t adjust to you. You adjust to them.
I believe you have a lot to think about here. I’m glad you chose civil engineering. From there your choices are unbounded. You’ll figure it out. Save your question and look at it ten years from now. It will make you smile.
Or am I not fulling understanding your question? I started working for myself as a civil engineer after twelve years working in the public and private sectors. I had experience in planning, design and construction. I worked 60-70 hours, seven days per week doing jobs for clients or finding new work. After one year, I was offered a vice presidency in a small firm and took it.
Civil engineering is a broad field. Before you start with the question you posed, think about what you want to do as an engineer. Do you like planning? Would you like to be part of a design team? What about construction? Then there are specific areas, such as water, traffic, buildings, wastewater, remediation, and much more. Each of those has a planning design and construction part and more.
In each of those you might encounter different types of people with different personalities. The people in construction probably are going to be different than the folks in planning. They don’t adjust to you. You adjust to them.
I believe you have a lot to think about here. I’m glad you chose civil engineering. From there your choices are unbounded. You’ll figure it out. Save your question and look at it ten years from now. It will make you smile.
Thank you for the advice.
Faisal
Vern Novstrup
Environmental Engineer
36
Answers
Ventura, California
Updated
Vern’s Answer
If you want your own business (engineering consulting firm), there are a number of steps you will need to take. These include: 1) obtaining your professional engineering license – this requires passing the FE exam, getting the required experience under a license; 2) getting a business degree (e.g. masters); 3) gaining enough experience to be considered a competent professional is has specialized knowledge that is worth buying from an external source; 4) finding a partner(s) so that you can take on larger projects; and 5) setting up business – this includes: a) admin support; b) office space; c) professional insurance: d) branding – business cards, letterhead, brochures. website: e) business vehicles; f) legal support: and everything else that that make you look like a capable organization. Depending on what title you use (planner, vs. business consultant vs civil engineer and the tasks you take on you may be able avoid the professional license but you need to know exactly what the laws are in your state to avoid legal problems.
The other option is develop your career for 10 to 20 years as an junior, staff, and senior engineer to develop a full understanding of how engineering consulting firms do business and develop contacts in your area. This allows you to go back to steps 4 and 5.
A significant number of engineers work their entire career for one or two organizations and then retire. To stay engaged, they then establish a consultancy take on small advisory projects that are relatively low risk, small, and highly targeted. In my experience these consultancies are more of an elaborate hobby than a serious money-making business. This can be rewarding if you have developed a very specialized professional skill. The downside is that a single mistake can ruin your life without the proper professional errors and omissions insurance.
Final thought. most people don't understand that a successful small business requires up to 80 hours of work for several years without a paycheck. If you become successful you will always be the last bill that is paid. Running a business as a sole proprietor or limited liability corporation is very risky at best.
Otherwise owning your own business can be very rewarding.
The other option is develop your career for 10 to 20 years as an junior, staff, and senior engineer to develop a full understanding of how engineering consulting firms do business and develop contacts in your area. This allows you to go back to steps 4 and 5.
A significant number of engineers work their entire career for one or two organizations and then retire. To stay engaged, they then establish a consultancy take on small advisory projects that are relatively low risk, small, and highly targeted. In my experience these consultancies are more of an elaborate hobby than a serious money-making business. This can be rewarding if you have developed a very specialized professional skill. The downside is that a single mistake can ruin your life without the proper professional errors and omissions insurance.
Final thought. most people don't understand that a successful small business requires up to 80 hours of work for several years without a paycheck. If you become successful you will always be the last bill that is paid. Running a business as a sole proprietor or limited liability corporation is very risky at best.
Otherwise owning your own business can be very rewarding.
I'm excited to put your great advice to good use!
Faisal
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